Once impossible is now possible’ Sudha Sundaravaradan’s JUMPOREE

This Entrepreneurial Story is about Sudha Sundaravaradan Founder of JUMPOREE located in Sarjapur Road, Bangalore.

When did you set out on this venture?

Jumporee was launched in Bangalore on Jan 13th, 2012. The idea had been in the works for the past 2 years.

What Motivated you to start your Business?

Passion and the urge to create something unique in the children entertainment space motivated me to start Jumporee. Active physical playtime for children is decreasing these days and I sensed an opportunity to do something unique to fill that need. While bouncy businesses exit, I felt there was a huge gap in this space on two fronts – safety is more of an after-thought and customer service is virtually non-existent. Jumporee is the first professional bounce house rental business in India and it prides itself of a safe, clean and fun bouncy experience.

Tell us about your Business …

We are India’s first exclusive kids bounce house rental company specializing in creating clean and safe play zones for kids, at their door step. Jumporee’s motto is safety first and safety always.

Jumporee has wide variety of inflatables to choose from (Castles, Bouncies, Slides and Obstacles) based on the customer’s requirement. On the event day, our trained staff will create a fun play zone with the rented inflatables, monitor kids and let them have some pure fun, all at their door step.

Jumporee bounce houses are created specifically for kids keeping in mind their safety and fun factor. They conform to US and European standards and are lead-free*. Our bouncies and slides are of commercial grade quality for safety, durability and reliability. We clean and disinfect our bouncies before and after every event. For safe operation of the inflatables, we have obtained advanced certification from the most reputed training institute (Safe Inflatable Operators Training Institute) from US.

What is a Day in a life of you like?

Most of the time, the day is spent in responding to customer inquiries. This involves understanding the customer needs and desires, their party space constraints and then suggesting bouncy options that meet the needs. Sometimes this means visiting the customer site to better understand their space constraints and talking to the customer face to face. Part of the day is also spent on research, readings on how to run and expand the business. Evening hours are dedicated for my kids and family.

One particular skill you got right and gave you best results….

Planning and Execution

What have been your biggest challenges in running your Business so far?

Dealing with not-so-optimistic views about the viability of the business model and also of a woman doing rental business dominated by men in India. Also, convincing customers to understand our service and our value-add was a challenge during the initial stages. Now, customers recognize our brand and the service and value-add that come with it.

How did you overcome these challenges?

Confidence and will power. Can do attitude and feeling that nothing is impossible if it is done right at the right time. Extensive research and proper execution has helped me present my brand very effectively. More than that, my husband’s support is immeasurable . He is my advisor, critique, guide and supporter. Whenever I stumble, he was and is there to support and guide me to overcome the challenges.

What have you found the most effective way to get new clients?

Referrals and word of mouth approach. Having an professional looking online website has also helped us a lot. Customers have come to value the professionalism and the customer service from the time of first inquiry to the time the show is over.

What advice do you give to other business owners?

Never lose hope and always believe in yourself and your idea. Learn the core things by doing extensive research before getting into anything. Every time someone critiques your idea, take that as a challenge and work hard to make impossible possible.

How did you keep motivated through difficult times?

Again, can-do-it attitude and the belief that nothing is impossible. I always think about the end result (final destination) when am in trouble and work hard to achieve it.

Whats your Marketing, Funding and Team Building Strategy?

So far all the leads have been through referrals and the website. So there has been no real marketing so far. The company is self-funded and we are not looking for any funding but may be in need of it soon for scaling it to the next level. Currently, we are a very small team of three people. To me, my two employees are the two pillars of my company. Without them, it is impossible to achieve where i am right now.They understand and see my vision very clearly as i see it and implement actions accordingly. Very proud to have them onboard.

Your Achievements…

The start has been good but we’ve a long way to go. Creating the first ever online portal for bounce house rental in India motivates and encourages me to achieve even more in this business. Have created about 42 play zones in 6 months and have entertained about 2750 kids so far. More than that, creating a successful service oriented company that delights customers makes me feel happy.

Whats your favorite quote?

Believe you can and you’re halfway there – Theodore Roosevelt

Belief in oneself is one of the most important bricks in building any successful venture – Lydia M. Child

Who inspires you?

Every entrepreneur is my inspiration. Anyone who has enormous talent and have changed the way things normally happen inspire me a lot.